1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a clamp with at least one internal air bag. More specifically, this invention relates to a clamp for use during laminating substrates that is portable and a method of using the clamp that includes manually positioning the clamp plates in contact with the substrates and then pressurizing the air bag in order to provide uniform pressure to the substrates along the length of the clamp.
2. State of the Art
In the manufacture of laminated articles, an adhesive layer is disposed at the interface between two substrates to be laminated. The two substrates are then clamped in place at selected intervals along their length while the adhesive cures using, for example, multiple C-clamps. To facilitate the curing, heat lamps may be pointed at the substrates. This laminating procedure has several disadvantages.
First, clamps positioned at selected intervals apply uneven pressure along the substrates, which causes uneven bonding between the laminated substrates. Uneven pressure and uneven bonding result in an inferior product and are more likely to cause breakage of the laminated pieces. This is a problem especially with laminating granite or other brittle materials.
Second, as the pressure is applied by the clamps, the substrates may slip out of alignment. Thus, applying several clamps while maintaining the alignment of the substrates requires a great deal of labor.
Third, heating the laminated pieces using heat lamps results in a great deal of wasted energy since most of the heat is lost into the surrounding environment. Utilizing heat lamps causes uneven heating, uneven curing and, thus, uneven bonding, resulting in an inferior laminated product that is likely to crack and break.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of tools and methods for laminating substrates for a device that applies pressure and heat evenly along the surfaces of the substrates during laminating while also maintaining the desired alignment of the substrates.